In general, a magnetic recording and/or reproducing apparatus having a rotary type head drum such as a DVCR is provided with a tape loading apparatus. The tape loading apparatus is designed to draw a portion of a magnetic tape out of a cassette loaded in the DVCR and to run same in a predetermined path by moving pole base assemblies. The pole base assemblies are respectively provided on guide plates disposed at a supply reel side and a take-up reel side so as to move along a curvilinear loading slot formed at each of the guide plates. While running through the predetermined path, the tape makes contact with a peripheral surface of the head drum, which is provided with at least one or more heads so as to record/reproduce signals onto/from the tape.
One of the prior art tape loading apparatuses for use in a DVCR is shown in FIG. 1. In the illustrated apparatus, the tape loading apparatus includes a motor 11 for loading a tape cassette (not shown) and a tape (not shown), a pair of pole base assemblies 13 for extracting the tape from the loaded tape cassette and bringing it into contact with a head drum 1 of DVCR, and a power conveying unit for transmitting a power from the motor 11 into the pole base assemblies 13.
The pole base assemblies 13 are respectively provided on guide plates 3 disposed at a supply reel side and a take-up reel side so as to move along a loading slot 4 formed at each of the guide plates 3.
The power conveying unit includes a plurality of relay gears 22 driven by the motor 11, a cam gear 24 engaged with one of the relay gears 22 and having a cam groove 26, a relay plate 28 connected with the cam gear 24 by engaging a pin 30 provided at one end thereof with the cam groove 26 and having at the other end thereof a gear portion 32, a pair of pole base assembly loading gears 34. The loading gears 34 are engaged with each other and one thereof is connected with the relay plate 28 by an engagement with the gear portion 32 of the relay plate 28. Further, each of the loading gears 34 is connected with its corresponding pole base assembly 13 via a link device 36.
The tape is loaded first by actuating the motor 11. The power of the motor 11 is transmitted into one of the pole base assembly loading gears 34 via the plurality of relay gears 22, the cam gear 24, and the relay plate 28, which, in turn, rotates the other pole base assembly loading gear 34. The rotation of the pole base assembly loading gears 34 allows the link devices 36 to move the pole base assemblies 13 along its corresponding loading slot 4, till the pole base assemblies 13 reach their respective V-shaped catcher 7 provided at a drum base 5 to thereby bring the tape into contact with the peripheral surface of the head drum 1.
In such a tape loading apparatus, the loading slot is formed with the guide plate, which, in turn, increases the size thereof, resulting in setting a limit to the e:tent that the DVCR can be miniaturized. In addition, the task of assembling and disassembling the link devices is tricky and cumbersome, since the link devices are hidden from view due to the guide plate. Furthermore, since the catcher has the V-shape, it is difficult to catch the pole base assembly effectively and reliably, causing the tape to slacken.